Keeping that Motivation at 100 for Step 1

[Lola Thomas]

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So just about to get to dedicated and I am just feeling a little burnt out. I dont know how I am supposed to transition from going hard in school to going even harder for this exam that determines so much. Any advice? I worked by butt off in medical school and it feels like it may have caused diminishing returns if I can't even open FA.

 

[bashwell]

Running, sports, lifting weights? Exercise is a great motivator in my opinion. It's at least a good place to start.

 

[dempty]

Running, sports, lifting weights? Exercise is a great motivator in my opinion. It's at least a good place to start.

Agreed. If you used to do it, try to get back into some exercise to see if that helps. If you've never been an exercise person, still give it a shot. If it doesn't work, try another side hobby. I started some light exercising again last year and felt much better in terms of concentration and energy. I recently stopped for a few months and began to feel sluggish when trying to sit in a chair to read notes or watch lectures. I just started up again this week and feel better already.

 

[Redpancreas]

Running, sports, lifting weights? Exercise is a great motivator in my opinion. It's at least a good place to start.

Running literally kept me going every day. After a certain point I would declare myself done and hen I would run and listen to music while running around the campus. Then I would quickly run thru a lecture on Pathoma or something and eat Subway while watching TV on my Ipad. Didn't maintain that during the last week due to sheer stress but it worked out well.

 

[sloop]

When I took step 1 (got 250+ if that matters) I had a few points during my study period of ~6 wks when I felt burned out and like I wasn't getting much out of studying. I think at these times you just need to take a day off and do something you enjoy. I scheduled at least one day completely off per week and there were a couple times when I just had to take an additional unscheduled day because I wasn't being efficient. Go out and do something fun on these days, outside of your school or your apartment.

I know it can be anxiety inducing to take time off from studying but there's no shortcut here. When the cause of the burnout is studying too long and too hard without a break, the only reasonable remedy is to stop studying for a period of time and recharge.

 

[whatisthisstuff]

I'm feeling the same way a little bit. I've been keeping up with review basically all of 2nd year and am feeling a little over it. I think a couple days of relaxing after school is over and I'll be ready to be back at it though.

 

[jw3600]

Read all of failedatlife's posts.

 

[failedatlife]

Let me motivate you. Read this and if you aren't motivated, let me know and I can try some more.

It's almost midnight on a f* Saturday night. I am sitting at home alone with two laptops open, one with Uworld open and another with an excel with my patient's database open. I am alternating between 2.5 hours of studying and 1 hour of research and drinking coffee. I'm studying for my Shelf exam, but essentially I'm also studying for Step 2 in the sad attempt that I can somehow make up for my failure of a Step 1. Even if I am to make it against the odds and do well, will it even matter? That I don't know. I think about Step 1 every day, almost every hour even when I am seeing patients. It's been like 8 months and it still hurts as bad as it did on day 1. It's the first thing my clinical advisors mention when they meet with me, and I feel like they can clearly see how much it has affected me, because they berate on it during every meeting for lengths of time.

My friends who did exceptional on this exam are out drinking and posting on Instagram and Snap chat as I write this (not worrying about research or trying to H every rotation or Step 2). Most (all?) are in relationships with good looking girls. I stopped dating and going out because I feel horrible enjoying myself when I know I wrecked my life and will pay the price next year on match day. I worked so hard throughout medical school publishing and studying, and all that literally means nothing right now because of that test.

You know what is important now, and you can seal the deal. Do you really want to be in my situation, waking up every morning and going to sleep wondering if you are even going to match next year??? Wondering why you tried so hard and promised yourself that you would not screw up, and bam you screw up. Then you come online to vent. Heck, I never wrote a single thing on this website before Step 1, now I'm some nut-job posting in the attempt that I can save at least someone from the horror I'm living through right now.

Honestly, listen to the kid above me and read my posts. They are very real and this one test really did change my life in a very negative way. Best of luck and try hard.

 

[jw3600]

Let me motivate you. Read this and if you aren't motivated, let me know and I can try some more.

It's almost midnight on a f* Saturday night. I am sitting at home alone with two laptops open, one with Uworld open and another with an excel with my patient's database open. I am alternating between 2.5 hours of studying and 1 hour of research and drinking coffee. I'm studying for my Shelf exam, but essentially I'm also studying for Step 2 in the sad attempt that I can somehow make up for my failure of a Step 1. Even if I am to make it against the odds and do well, will it even matter? That I don't know. I think about Step 1 every day, almost every hour even when I am seeing patients. It's been like 8 months and it still hurts as bad as it did on day 1. It's the first thing my clinical advisors mention when they meet with me, and I feel like they can clearly see how much it has affected me, because they berate on it during every meeting for lengths of time.

My friends who did exceptional on this exam are out drinking and posting on Instagram and Snap chat as I write this (not worrying about research or trying to H every rotation or Step 2). Most (all?) are in relationships with good looking girls. I stopped dating and going out because I feel horrible enjoying myself when I know I wrecked my life and will pay the price next year on match day. I worked so hard throughout medical school publishing and studying, and all that literally means nothing right now because of that test.

You know what is important now, and you can seal the deal. Do you really want to be in my situation, waking up every morning and going to sleep wondering if you are even going to match next year??? Wondering why you tried so hard and promised yourself that you would not screw up, and bam you screw up. Then you come online to vent. Heck, I never wrote a single thing on this website before Step 1, now I'm some nut-job posting in the attempt that I can save at least someone from the horror I'm living through right now.

Honestly, listen to the kid above me and read my posts. They are very real and this one test really did change my life in a very negative way. Best of luck and try hard.

Just so you know I wasn't trying to get a rise from you. My post was meant to be humorous but also to serve as proxy for my advice which is to understand the impact step 1 can have and basically scare yourself into being motivated.

 

[Azete]

Find an opposite (or same) sex student in your class to study with. Do the same batch of UWorld questions as them every day. Whoever scores higher gets oral.

There's your motivation.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Let me motivate you. Read this and if you aren't motivated, let me know and I can try some more.

It's almost midnight on a f* Saturday night. I am sitting at home alone with two laptops open, one with Uworld open and another with an excel with my patient's database open. I am alternating between 2.5 hours of studying and 1 hour of research and drinking coffee. I'm studying for my Shelf exam, but essentially I'm also studying for Step 2 in the sad attempt that I can somehow make up for my failure of a Step 1. Even if I am to make it against the odds and do well, will it even matter? That I don't know. I think about Step 1 every day, almost every hour even when I am seeing patients. It's been like 8 months and it still hurts as bad as it did on day 1. It's the first thing my clinical advisors mention when they meet with me, and I feel like they can clearly see how much it has affected me, because they berate on it during every meeting for lengths of time.

My friends who did exceptional on this exam are out drinking and posting on Instagram and Snap chat as I write this (not worrying about research or trying to H every rotation or Step 2). Most (all?) are in relationships with good looking girls. I stopped dating and going out because I feel horrible enjoying myself when I know I wrecked my life and will pay the price next year on match day. I worked so hard throughout medical school publishing and studying, and all that literally means nothing right now because of that test.

You know what is important now, and you can seal the deal. Do you really want to be in my situation, waking up every morning and going to sleep wondering if you are even going to match next year??? Wondering why you tried so hard and promised yourself that you would not screw up, and bam you screw up. Then you come online to vent. Heck, I never wrote a single thing on this website before Step 1, now I'm some nut-job posting in the attempt that I can save at least someone from the horror I'm living through right now.

Honestly, listen to the kid above me and read my posts. They are very real and this one test really did change my life in a very negative way. Best of luck and try hard.

10/10! This was your masterpiece. You may have peaked. Brilliant.

 

[Beezlebub]

Let me motivate you. Read this and if you aren't motivated, let me know and I can try some more.

It's almost midnight on a f* Saturday night. I am sitting at home alone with two laptops open, one with Uworld open and another with an excel with my patient's database open. I am alternating between 2.5 hours of studying and 1 hour of research and drinking coffee. I'm studying for my Shelf exam, but essentially I'm also studying for Step 2 in the sad attempt that I can somehow make up for my failure of a Step 1. Even if I am to make it against the odds and do well, will it even matter? That I don't know. I think about Step 1 every day, almost every hour even when I am seeing patients. It's been like 8 months and it still hurts as bad as it did on day 1. It's the first thing my clinical advisors mention when they meet with me, and I feel like they can clearly see how much it has affected me, because they berate on it during every meeting for lengths of time.

My friends who did exceptional on this exam are out drinking and posting on Instagram and Snap chat as I write this (not worrying about research or trying to H every rotation or Step 2). Most (all?) are in relationships with good looking girls. I stopped dating and going out because I feel horrible enjoying myself when I know I wrecked my life and will pay the price next year on match day. I worked so hard throughout medical school publishing and studying, and all that literally means nothing right now because of that test.

You know what is important now, and you can seal the deal. Do you really want to be in my situation, waking up every morning and going to sleep wondering if you are even going to match next year??? Wondering why you tried so hard and promised yourself that you would not screw up, and bam you screw up. Then you come online to vent. Heck, I never wrote a single thing on this website before Step 1, now I'm some nut-job posting in the attempt that I can save at least someone from the horror I'm living through right now.

Honestly, listen to the kid above me and read my posts. They are very real and this one test really did change my life in a very negative way. Best of luck and try hard.

I appreciate your story. I know some people who had to retake STEP 1, but ultimately matched. With the amount of hard work you put into securing your future, I am confident you will come out victorious. Please try not to let the test haunt you, it will break your focus. We cannot change the past, but in our hands we hold the present and our future is molded by our will and resilience.
All the best.

 

[operaman]

Take an practice NBME. See where you stand. It will either reassure you or scare the hell out of you. Either way you win.

Good luck!

 

[Waldeinsamkeit]

Take a practice exam from USMLE. Either you'll pass with flying colors and may deserve to coast, but more likely you'll need improvement. Sure lit a fire under me to keep going hard.

 

[J ROD]

Cocaine and strippers.......recipe for success! When in doubt, do more!!

 

[libertyyne]

Cocaine and strippers.......recipe for success! When in doubt, do more!!

Is that your medical opinion. Can one get a prescription for both with instructions of doing them together?

 

[Anicetus]

Let me motivate you. Read this and if you aren't motivated, let me know and I can try some more.

It's almost midnight on a f* Saturday night. I am sitting at home alone with two laptops open, one with Uworld open and another with an excel with my patient's database open. I am alternating between 2.5 hours of studying and 1 hour of research and drinking coffee. I'm studying for my Shelf exam, but essentially I'm also studying for Step 2 in the sad attempt that I can somehow make up for my failure of a Step 1. Even if I am to make it against the odds and do well, will it even matter? That I don't know. I think about Step 1 every day, almost every hour even when I am seeing patients. It's been like 8 months and it still hurts as bad as it did on day 1. It's the first thing my clinical advisors mention when they meet with me, and I feel like they can clearly see how much it has affected me, because they berate on it during every meeting for lengths of time.

My friends who did exceptional on this exam are out drinking and posting on Instagram and Snap chat as I write this (not worrying about research or trying to H every rotation or Step 2). Most (all?) are in relationships with good looking girls. I stopped dating and going out because I feel horrible enjoying myself when I know I wrecked my life and will pay the price next year on match day. I worked so hard throughout medical school publishing and studying, and all that literally means nothing right now because of that test.

You know what is important now, and you can seal the deal. Do you really want to be in my situation, waking up every morning and going to sleep wondering if you are even going to match next year??? Wondering why you tried so hard and promised yourself that you would not screw up, and bam you screw up. Then you come online to vent. Heck, I never wrote a single thing on this website before Step 1, now I'm some nut-job posting in the attempt that I can save at least someone from the horror I'm living through right now.

Honestly, listen to the kid above me and read my posts. They are very real and this one test really did change my life in a very negative way. Best of luck and try hard.

On the floors we had to stop rounds and read your post together I was laughing so hard.

 

[Danny L]

Wait if he did that poorly on step 1 couldn't he retake it? My mom was an immigrant and she had to retake one of the USMLE steps (forget which one) and she's a radiologist now

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Ask your local street pharmacist for common study aids. Just kidding. Not worth it.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Wait if he did that poorly on step 1 couldn't he retake it? My mom was an immigrant and she had to retake one of the USMLE steps (forget which one) and she's a radiologist now

You can only retake steps you failed.